Genevieve Cody, Thomas Jefferson swimmers collect medals during memorable postseason

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 23, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Thomas Jefferson senior Genevieve Cody is a talented high school swimmer.

And she’s a coach’s dream.

“Genevieve is great,” TJ coach Steve Larkin said. “She works hard in the pool, in the weight room and in the classroom. She does everything she’s asked to do. She rests appropriately, eats appropriately, takes feedback well, communicates well.

“She bought into the program immediately when I got here. No questions asked. And she is going to be an asset in her college program when she graduates. I can’t say enough about her.”

A National Honor Society member who has committed to Lehigh, Cody anchored the TJ girls WPIAL-winning 200-yard freestyle relay team at the Class 2A finals at Pitt’s Trees Pool.

TJ’s relay team, consisting of freshman Wynter Olsen, senior Nadia Casamassa, junior Shannon Chalfant and Cody, posted a time of 1:37.15 at the WPIAL meet.

“They swam awesome,” Larkin said. “Everyone in the relay knew their job and they did their job. Anyone in that last heat had a chance to win. It was a fast heat with a lot of great swims. And our girls did their job.

“That 200-yard freestyle relay was fast, and I knew it was going to be. So pulling off that win was definitely an objective, but you never know what’s gonna happen until it happens.”

The same four girls swam in the 400 freestyle relay and placed fourth in 3:36.98, missing out on a runner-up finish by less than a second.

“The 400-yard freestyle relay was awesome to watch,” Larkin said. “There were really great swims by really great teams. It was awesome to have a top four finish with those other teams.”

Individually, Cody captured second place both in the 50 free (23.37) and 100 free (50.84).

“She likes to race, and she is a fighter,” Larkin said. “She had really great races against the two fastest girls in the state.”

Chalfont also placed seventh in the 200 free (1:58.02) and eighth in the 500 free (5:21.81), and Olsen finished fourth in the 500 free (5:18.1) and 10th in the 200 free.

The girls 200 medley relayers consisted of seniors Brooke McGrew, Natalie Rowland and Casamassa and freshman Elena O’Dea.

McGrew qualified for the WPIAL championships in the 100 butterfly and Rowland in the 100 breaststroke.

Indiana won the WPIAL 2A team title in a close race with Mt. Pleasant. The TJ girls corralled seventh place in the final team standings.

“Finishing seventh was a great accomplishment for the girls,” Larkin said. “We have a smaller team this year, and many of those top 2A teams have a little more depth. Those girls always know the expectation; they know what the objective is each and every time they dive into the pool, and that’s to win races.”

Cody was a double individual medalist at the PIAA finals at Bucknell, taking second in the 100 free in 51.3 and fourth in the 50 free in 23.51.

The TJ girls 200 free and 400 free relay teams also secured third and sixth place, respectively. Olsen placed 11th in the 500 free and 14th in the 200 free.

Nine school records were broken by TJ swimmers at the WPIAL meet, including the 200 free, 50 free, 200 free relay, 100 free, 500 free and 400 free relay on the girls team and 50 free, 200 individual medley and 200 medley relay on the boys team.

“I feel our boys had a really good showing,” Larkin said. “We have a really young boys team. We had no seniors at WPIALs. We have a large group of freshmen. They have an opportunity to do some good things in time.”

Chris Geitner, a junior, was a near-medalist in the WPIAL 50 freestyle event with a ninth-place showing.

Other WPIAL finalists from TJ included juniors Gavin Mahan (500 free, 100 back), Danny Matusz (200 free), Gavin McBurney (500 free) and Julian Rambharose (100 breast) and freshmen Evan Willmer (200 IM, 100 butterfly), Nick Palmer (500 free) and Johnathan Renk (100 back).

Geitner, Matusz, Willmer, McBurney, Mahan and Rambharose competed in the three relay events.

“I have been coaching for a long time,” Larkin said. “I’ve coached a lot of really great athletes, and I’ve had many successes. But this is a group I really enjoyed.

“Our boys are young and maturing. They show up every day hungry for more. And our girls, you put so much time into them that they truly become like family.”

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